In This Godforsaken Land
by escelphius
Summary: Born an orphan and raised as a tool, do the lives of living beings hold any value here? Uzumaki Naruto is just a boy looking for a will to survive. People are just objects passing by, but would any of them be an exception?
1. Prologue

In This Godforsaken Land

disclaimer: i obviously don't own this series. if i did, why the hell would i be here?

**warning:** This fic is eventually going to contain **shounen-ai/yaoi (boy-boy relationship)**. If you disapprove of this, **DON'T READ**. It's that simple. Flamers will be scoffed and laughed at for being illiterate.

This fic is set in an alternate world with advance technologies. So there will be no ninja, normal buildings, etc. However, there are some points that are shared with the manga and no original characters so no worries :D!

* * *

**Prologue**

It was another gray and rainy day. But the rain here doesn't seem to be the usual kind. They look like overly large pine needles and seem to glow while in the sky. When they hit one's skin, it stings. Strangely enough, this kind of rain only appear around this area. This soundless prison.

Naruto glanced out of his cell window. Oh, how he would love to walk in that rain and forget. But reality is cruel as always and things of his kind are kept here, away from human populace.

_Are we not human? No. . .we were once human. . ._

Naruto smiled at that thought. Strange, smiling at nothing in particular. "Oi, Gaara!" In the cell right of Naruto lay a teenage boy with mahogany hair and dark-rimmed turquiose eyes. He had a kanji that read "ai" tattoed to the side of his forehead too. When Naruto first saw him, he laughed at the boy for being eyebrow-less, but thought it cool of Gaara to have that tattoo.

Gaara glanced at Naruto through the semi-transparent wall. The whole area within that part of the prison consists of semi-transparent walls with a greenish glow to them. Each of these walls separated adjacent cells from each other. Perhaps the makers of the prison felt pity for those bad enough to land in there, thus making the walls transparent enough for others to see through. The cells were clean, albeit a bit too clean for Naruto's liking. It gave him a creepy feeling like he's in some horror movie awaiting his own death. He glanced at Gaara who stared right back at him.

"Have you heard the news? Some of us are gonna be sent to a new facility where people would 'check' on us to make sure we have nothing wrong and then release us. It's crazy don't ya think? Labeling us as insane is a bit too far for them! Most of us here are as normal as any other person!"

During this whole rant, Gaara just calmly stared at Naruto.

_He's always so cheerful. . . even during the war. _

"Do you want to go?" Gaara asked suddenly, cutting Naruto off. Naruto grinned that foxy look of his.

"Nah, what's the point? I'd rather stay here with you anyways. At least life wouldn't be too boring with ya!" A small smile fought to surface upon Gaara's face, but instead he settled with a small smirk.

"Go back to sleep Naruto, there's nothing to do now anyways." Gaara turned his back to the wall upon finishing the sentence.

"But I'm not tired and it's not even late!"

"Just go back to sleep." There was no room for argument, plus Naruto would probably kill himself due to boredom if he stay up anyways. So Naruto flopped himself onto his bed, pouting.

_I hope that they will serve ramen tomorrow. . .hmmm, tasty ramen._

Those were Naruto's last thought before he drifted off to dreamland.

* * *

There were screams. Pleas and cries for mercy as soldiers entered into civilian homes. And he, a "street rat," or so those people said, felt a strong sympathy for them. He was a street rat; he had no home, no family, nothing. Yet while on the streets, he found many other unfortunate ones just like him. They all formed a group, a surrogate family of sorts for each other. He took the responsibilities onto his own shoulders to see to that everyone within the group have food in their stomachs everyday. He also made sure that they were at least decently clothed for the upcoming cold weather. He would steal, lie, bite, or fight. Anything to get the job done and see to that everyone is alright. Those people were never nice to them anyways. Some were, but they were never around for long. 

But. . . he still felt sympathy for these people that had scowled and spat at him.

Now, being a street rat is never a good thing, but in times like these, the lack of any relations and home IS a good thing. You can run and hide much faster compared to those that had a nice home and a family. Tough enough to look after yourself, mobile enough to escape death. Ah, what a benefit to have in times of war. But then, it's not like that anymore. The city's been under seige for some time, and he just HAD to be soft and rescue some orphans whose parents got killed while defending their home. Now, they had a large group --- 'round 8, including Naruto.

"Psst, Naruto-nichan!" A ball of spiky black hair scurried to his side. Naruto smiled to himself. Ah, another ball of energy just like him. Konohamaru was one of the few he found while on the streets. He turned and headed back, looking around the dark, dank, and dilapidated place that suited them as a temporary shelter. Out of all the people, Konohamaru, Haku, and Shikamaru were the ones he met while on the streets. The other were rescued orphans by Naruto. One of them was a shy and quiet girl named Hinata who always stuttered when Naruto talked to her. Another one is Inari, a little boy who acted like a brat at first, but somehow developed a nicer side. He fights with Konohamaru a lot, but they both seem to idolicize Naruto. The sixth is Shino, although it is more like an encounter than rescue. Shino met them and just followed since. Next up is the doggie lover, Kiba. He and his dog were actually fighting with a soldier when Naruto saw them. Naruto had to throw the smoke bombs he found to get Kiba and his dog away from the danger.

"Shikamaru, how are we on the rations?" Naruto asked with a grave look.

"We should be able to get through the week, although we are running out. . ." replied Shikamaru, looking rather annoyed.

"Shit. . .we gotta go find more now but food is one of the hardest to find!" Naruto couldn't help but begin pacing back and forth, worry etched into his features.

"I can take Akamaru with me and search for safe zones that we can go into and maybe search for some food" Kiba cut in, looking hopeful.

". . .Haku, Hinata, what do you guys think?"

Both Haku and Hinata were about to answer when a voice came out of nowhere.

_Naruto! _

_. . .Naruto! _

_NARUTO!

* * *

_  
Naruto suddenly jumped out of his bed, landing ungracefully onto the cold floor. He looked up irritably only to see Kakashi, one of the warden, there with an amused look.

"What's your problem? If you got something, spit it out and go away!"

Kakashi, still holding that amused look, replied calmly. "Uzumaki Naruto, ID 00795211, you are now free of this place."

"What? You mean, I can just walk out here right now and be on my own?"

"Not quite, but you are leaving here."

". . .I am leaving here, but I am not free."

"Exactly." And with that, Kakashi unlocked the cell with what looked like a grin underneath his black partial face mask. Naruto could only glance quizzically at Gaara, only to find him staring back with a face devoid of any emotion.

"Off you go Naruto."

* * *

**AN:**

Ah, so here's the prologue of the fic I've had in my head for such a long time. The setting for it is a bit sci-fi, imagine it sort of like the Xenosaga setting for those of you who've played it. Advance technologies and all that comes with it. It may seem confusing now, but this is only the prologue. All I can say is that Naruto was an orphan when he was young but was grabbed away along with many others to be. . .trained. I'm intending this story to be somewhat sad though. Rest assured that future chapters will be longer. 


	2. By Chance

_In this godforsaken land_

_The people seek not of salvation_

_but the will to survive. _

Uchiha Sasuke walked down one of the many corridors of the Shura branch research facility whose full name he didn't bother to remember. With the trademark Uchiha glare, he worked his way out of the long corridor, only to arrive in the Central Wing of the facility.

_This damned place may be the best, but it's so big that it's annoying. I can't find him anywhere! _

Ah yes, Uchiha Itachi is the person that can put a scowl on Sasuke's face anytime, anyday. He is the bane of Sasuke's existence, but he doesn't stop there. At least, not in Sasuke's opinion.

_Itachi. . ._

A known child prodigy by the age of 8, he excelled at everything. It doesn't seem hard for him too. Their father had thought Itachi could take over in the business sect. for the Uchiha clan, but apparently, Itachi had thought otherwise. Now, he devotes himself solely to observing and researching the retroviruses along with nanotechnology. Of course, his father didn't complain, for that anything Itachi does will bring the clan a good name. Plus, it's not an easy job, and definitely not an average job that anyone can take.

_Everyone is in the palm of his hand. _

Ah, another reason why Sasuke hates him so. Now this goes past the sibling rivalry, though sibling rivalry is one of the main reasons why he hates Itachi.

Just with a look, Itachi can get what he wants. He can speak, he can persuade, and he can definitely threaten. Even his own parents. He looked so detached and calm that it sent a shiver down Sasuke's spine. No one knows if Itachi had really killed someone before, but judging by his demeanor, Sasuke doubts the fact that he hasn't.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke mentally sighed at the sound of that voice. _Not now. . .what was her name? Sa. . .Sakura!_ Both of the Uchiha siblings are known for their abilities, but they're also known for their looks. _Second day on the job and she's already tracking me down? Damnit, why can't they go bother someone else? _Sasuke gets a ton of fangirls everywhere he goes. Although he's sure many people are attracted to his brother also, no one has made the move. It's weird how Itachi can be cordial and cold at the same time. Sasuke would've gone insane if Itachi was the social type. But then again, the anti-social Itachi also grates his nerves. Either way he would still suffer.

Which makes the hatred towards his brother grow even more.

"Sakura, can you please tell me where the east block of the North Wing is? Specifically the Archive?"

"The North Wing is the coldest and creepiest place, Sasuke. Why are you going there?"

The question revived the scowl upon Sasuke's face.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to pry! Go to that elevator there on your right and stop at level 4-C. Proceed to go north from there. The path splits up into three after that, but they are color-coded. Take the one with the black line. Eventually you'll get to the east block. The Archive is on the second floor."

Sasuke immediately nodded and left. Yet Sakura stood there, watching and smiling like an idiot.

_He remembered my name! Is he starting to notice me?

* * *

_  
It was extremely dim, with only the turquoise-ish light that lined at the bottom of the walls to brighten the area. The whole vincity was like an icebox, the coldness so strong and the air so dry that the room felt like a morgue. It was still daytime outside, yet little light came from the tall glass windows.

_Sakura was right. . .it's creepy here. So suitable for that bastard. _

Ignoring the chills, Sasuke went straight to the lift and went up onto the second floor. He finally found the room after a bit of exploring around the seemingly haunted place.

_No doubt that hell would look like this. _

The translucent double doors slid open and Sasuke went in. The walls were covered with large glass panels and screens with tons of information zooming from up and down. Lines and lines of recorded data in blue flew past, illuminating the room with its blue light. In fact, the only light in the room seems to be emitted by these tiny words. There was only one table and it was in front of the largest screen within the room. Itachi was nowhere to be seen. Cursing his luck, Sasuke went around the room examining every visible object out of boredom. Surveying the room, his eyes suddenly fell on an unopened, pure white envelope. It seemed so out of place, that envelope being there. Curious, he walked and reached out for the envelope. The thing looked plain from a distance, but on a closer glance, the envelope wasn't made from any cheap paper. The whole envelope was thick and smooth with some glossy areas. Flipping to the front, Sasuke saw one of the weirdest design he has ever seen. There was a large, black spiral symbol embossed on the smooth surface. Incomprehensible words filled the spaces within the spiral, all of them a dark crimson color. There are nine curvy lines surrounding the spiral, some straighter than others but all containing a weird symbol. None of the nine symbols looked the same. Two kanji in a semi-small font under the design read:

_Shinma _

Now _this_ has definitely grabbed Sasuke's attention.

Hiding the thing under his jacket, Sasuke left the room. From there, he walked as fast as he could. He finally reached the Central Wing, and immedately began to seek for a secluded place where he could hide. Seeing that some of the halls were empty, he proceeded to go into one. Sasuke took out the envelope as soon as he sat down. After admiring at the cover for a bit longer, he opened the envelope. There was a little stack of documents within the folder with nothing else that's interesting. However, there was another file in there. Sasuke decided to pull that one out instead of the papers inside. It was a plain, old file with the name "Uzumaki Naruto" on the cover.

_Uzumaki Naruto. . .? _

Opening the file, he came face to face with what he assumed to be the picture of Uzumaki Naruto. The picture wasn't large, and it was clipped onto the paper. However, this picture seems older than the file, for some of the colors are faded. But there was one thing that stood out the most. It was Uzumaki Naruto's eyes, the color were not as faded as the rest. They seem to look right through him, it felt like the picture itself was alive and looking right back at him. Shaking himself out of his stupor, Sasuke continued to examine the rest of the picture. The boy in it appeared to be younger than Sasuke but not by much. He had three dark marks by each side of his cheeks, with a hint of a smile on his lips.

That expression disturbed Sasuke for some reason.

Sasuke couldn't help but wonder why he felt so bothered by that expression. The person in the picture was just about to smile and that is all.

But why does it feel so out of place?

Sasuke was about to turn the page when a shadow loomed over him.

"Hello little brother."

_Shit. . . _

Slowly raising his head, Sasuke glanced up to see Itachi hovering over him with an ominous aura, face not conveying any emotion. Itachi continued to regard Sasuke as he slowly got up. Returning everything to Itachi, Sasuke also included a mini disc and said "all your recent orders are contained in here with updated information if you need them."

Itachi received the things Sasuke handed to him and turned to leave without another word. That is, until Sasuke stopped him.

"Who was that in the file?"

Itachi turned his eyes to Sasuke.

"Answer me."

There was no reply at first, Sasuke didn't even think that Itachi would reply. He was surprised when he did get one, albeit one that is too short.

"Someone we will meet soon." With that, Itachi turned and walked quietly away.

* * *

**AN:  
**  
Whoo first chapter away! Finally got it out, even though it laid there, half finished for so long. Now, let me explain a couple of things: 

: Now, Itachi and Sasuke, as mentioned, work in this facility for nanotechnologies and retroviruses. Sasuke kinda watched Itachi, but never really knows what Itachi will be doing or is doing. The whole facility has four main sections, with four other mini sections. Just imagine something like the Sorceress Memorial in FFVIII but 4 of them, with 4 other little parts in between each other. The four main blocks form a cross sign while the four small ones form an X sign (Central Wing being the round center, of course). So picture the building like a sun with 8 beam of rays shooting out!

: "Shinma" is the Japanese pronounciation of "神魔" (or at least, that's what I assume :I. Also, I didn't think of "Shinra" when I came up with this). Now, why did I pick this? Simple, because of the 九尾の狐 (Kyuubi no Kitsune). For those of you who knows and understands the youkai of Chinese and Japanese legends, or for those who paid attention, the Kyuubi no Kitsune is under the category of "妖魔" (youma). There is only a slight difference between "youkai" and "youma". Youkai is a very general term, it does not necessarily have the meaning of "demon," though that word is the most accurate Western translation. However, "youma" would fall under the category of "demon" or "devil," for the words "youma" actually hint at some malevolent being. You can say that "youma" is a more specific term for a type of youkai. Then I thought about a word that would go with "ma," and I got "shin." So basically, I took two contrasting items and combined them, thus forming "Shinma" (simplified "kami" into one sound and cut the "you" off). There are more reasons, but I guess this is my main one.

See the big letters centered at the top of the page? Anyone who played HA would be familiar with that. Whether or not HA used the same wording, I don't remember, but those words are inspired by it.

Last but not least, I GOT REVIEWS! THANK YOU ALL WHO REVIEWED XD! I wish I could just glomp you all XD!


	3. A Surprise

_**Give me release  
Witness me  
I am outside  
Give me peace  
Heaven holds a sense of wonder  
And I wanted to believe that  
I'd get caught up when the rage in me subsides.**_

It was raining again.

They fell endlessly, making heavy pattering sounds when they landed, all of them coming from the same opaque white. The sky looked like a misty mirror from his view, a mirror that ceased to show him anything. The positive things he associated with the sky are all gone. Faded.

Everything was blank.

He knew he was conscious, yet not sure if he was thinking. He knew he was breathing, yet he wasn't sure if he was alive. Sensations seem to elude him, thoughts seem to fly away. All the lethargy and tiredness overcame him swiftly like vultures crowding over the carrion flesh in a hurry. The only thing left was apathy.

Slowly turning his head, he could see some red seeping into the water around him. The tiny tendrils reached out as if in hunger, wanting to taint the water around it. He wondered if it was all his blood, but it couldn't be. He looked at the grass that were swaying from the rain and the wind. It wasn't until a low rumble did he realize that a storm is approaching.

Yet still, he laid there, unable to bring himself up. Struggling, he looked at the swaying grass, maybe if he wait long enough, his will would return.

A sudden static brought him out of his reverie.

_Na. . .Naruto!_ The static overcame the voice again. He waited some more.

_C. . .coordinates Z7122536! There's a wave of them and everyone's surrounded! Neji and Shikamaru are al. . .Hurry! _

His will returned and hit him full force. Pulling himself up, he ignored the ache everywhere on his body. The young man stood, determination etched clearly onto his face.

There was only one objective and nothing else.

* * *

It was a long way back and the rain didn't make it any easier. The trip back wasn't uneventful for a few assailants popped out and came at him. They were small fries, but since Naruto wasn't in the best of condition to begin with, they wore his stamina down even more. Luckily some of those that attacked him had a vehicle of some sort so it quickened his pace. As Naruto neared his destination, he could see the dead bodies that littered the ground with many more people fighting in the distance. The first one to notice his entry was Hinata.

"Naruto!" The pale-eyed girl cried. "The current situation is not a favorable one! Shikamaru had called for a temporary retreat but it was too late!" Naruto could only nod with a sloemn look on his face as Hinata briefed him on the current events. He didn't know what to say, but he knew he must walk right into the killing field to grab everyone back. Giving Hinata a small smile to reassure her, he went towards the direction of indistinct noises. It was then Hinata processed the overall bloodied mess that Naruto sported and the blood coming profusely from his abdomen.

"Naruto, you're hurt! You can't go!" Hinata latched onto him, looking at him with pleading eyes.

"Just wait Hinata. I'll be back."

With that, he gave her the most cheerful smile he could muster and left.

* * *

Neji, while ducked behind some blown-up junk for cover, felt something slid into the space right next to him. He couldn't help but feel relief wash over him when he saw that spikey blond head. 

"Heard the situation was bad." Naruto grinned, sounding like it's everyday occurrences that they're under enemy fire.

"We're surviving." Neji nonchalantly replied. Naruto grinned even more.

"How many are there?"

"Lost count." At this, something exploded right near them. "Ugh! Those bastards! I hate it when somethin' just pops outta nowhere!" Neji tried hard to fight down a smile even though he cannot comprehend how he can even smile right now.

"Neji, please, if you can't hold them down anymore, just go okay? I cleared a way while locating you." Naruto said, not looking at him. This alarmed Neji, but before he could ask the younger boy why, Naruto had already darted out into the clearing.

_NARUTO! _

They shot at him like there's no tomorrow, but none of the fired ammunitions had hit the desired target.

But no matter what luck a person may possess on the battlefield, they can't stay lucky forever right?

Finally, a few shots made contact with Naruto, puncturing the flesh of his right forearm and shoulder. Oddly enough, Naruto began to feel the strange adrenaline rush through him.

Suddenly, Naruto's irides seemed to ripple like water as his pupils began to contract into a more oval-like shape. A sheen settled over Naruto's eyes, giving them a glowing appearance; his eyes were also changing from a light hue to a darker hue, going on and off repeatedly.

A manic grin slowly spread itself across Naruto's face.

_KILL THEM ALL!_

* * *

Naruto snapped his eyes open and glanced at his surroundings. Shaking himself in an attempt to ease the grogginess, he sat up and ran his hand through his bright blond hair. Leaning against the wall and resting his palm across his eyes, he stayed that way for some time to relax himself from the tension.

_Just a dream. . .again._

Having nothing else to do, Naruto began to pace about the empty room. It was very much like his previous cell, except this time, it wasn't white.

_Out of an asylum and now into a laboratory, life just doesn't get anything better does it? It's just like what people'd said, outta the fridge and into the frying pan. . .I wish Gaara was here._

Just when he thought he was going to go crazy from sulking too much, the door opened.

"Yo, Naruto-chan."

Standing before the door was the silver-haired warden from before. Naruto made a face. Out of all the places, why must he be here? Why is he here? Naruto wasn't sure if he should reply but did anyway.

"Hatake. . .Kakashi. Don't call me Naruto-chan! It gives me the chills whenever you say it!" At this, Kakashi smiled under the dark cloth covering his face, "And it should be Kakashi-san for you, Naruto. Ma, it doesn't matter, are you ready to go?" Kakashi motioned for the door, which only made Naruto more confused.

"I thought I was staying here?" Naruto quizzically asked. Kakashi laughed, grabbed Naruto by the collar, and left with a screaming blond staggering behind him.

* * *

"New mutation in the C-terminal domain. . .cause unknown."

Visor in place, Itachi examined the substance in the other through the panel controls. "Abnormality at three percent."

Sighing, Itachi removed the visor and deactivated the system. Life was becoming more and more bland for him yet he could do nothing about it. His eyes turned to the pure white envelope his brother had gone off with earlier. He narrowed his eyes at that thought.

_He's snooping around again. . .what have I done to warrant any suspicions? They've been watching me for years. . ._

The more Itachi thought about it, the more he wanted to scowl at his predicament. He had long since detected something else underneath the surface of the people of the Uchiha clan. Always showering him with praises and a promise of a better future for him along with the clan. . .they can't fool him.

They had a sense of fear. A growing fear.

Although he loved seeing the fearful faces they made when they were around him, it was becoming a nuisance. They clutched onto him like a snake trying to constrict its prey to death. Before, he didn't really have much of a choice, now he barely have much of a room.

After glancing at the envelope, Itachi decided to go over its contents again. He scanned through the documents, noting even the most trivial information present. It was sent to him from almost a week ago, the sender anonymous. Seeing that the envelope mysteriously came out of nowhere, Itachi had thought about discarding the package but curiosity's got the better of him. The weird design had definiately caught his attention, but the contents itself intrigued him even more. First, all of the recorded information, save some, were so classified that even he doubt the government has a hold of them. But most of all, the one mentioned within these documents, Uzumaki Naruto, is an almost impossible find. Itachi was sure there were others who had underwent the same things Naruto did but. . .something didn't feel right.

Since Itachi had worked with the upper echelon of the Uchiha clan, he knew about the "past" to some extent.

_If I remembered correctly, there was a war. . .if so, why doesn't anyone know about it? Shouldn't this be public knowledge? _

_It was ridiculously easy to find this Uzumaki Naruto too. . ._

_But most importantly. . .why was these information sent to me? _

He spent the rest of his evening in comtemplative silence thinking about the packet of documents.

* * *

Sasuke walked through the corridors of the South Wing, heavy with thoughts. He didn't think that his brother would let him go lightly, but it turned out that he was wrong. What a pity though, he didn't even go through half of the contents.

Sasuke pondered the activities of the past few days while walking aimlessly around. He had no specific place in mind, so he let his feet take him wherever it went. He noticed some of the stares directed towards himself and acknowledged with distaste that some of the onlookers were drooling.

He was about to scowl when he caught something familiar in the corner of his eye. Turning sharply, Sasuke saw the most shocking blue eyes he had ever seen.

The bright golden locks, slightly tanned face, and those eyes.

They were the bluest of blue, seemingly deeper than the sea and more vast than the sky. Those eyes that seemed to have a gleam about them.

There was no mistake.

It's him.

But like a fleeting dream, he was gone.

* * *

"Who was that guy?" Naruto asked with both his arms behind his head, a bored expression on his face.

Kakashi's only reply was that all-knowing smile.

* * *

**AN:**

UAAH! Chapter two outt-o! Wai, sorry for the wait! (Finals are finally over and school's out XD!) What d'ya guys think? Ok? Gettin' better?

I tried to avoid repetitions, and I revised this whole thing SEVERAL times. I think in the end I still made the repetition mistake. Now I know the pain that most writers have (,). If it's not the writer's block, then it's trying to tie your story together. You get a problem if you have the both beginning and the ending but nothing in between. That's my problem now with this story, but I hope you readers enjoyed it. Your reviews really got me going! I wanted to make this chapter longer, but I didn't think it'd be nice to make all of you wait longer too (nn0). It feels as if my stories, although thought out first in my mind, are dictated by songs and games. (The first few lines before the fic was from Delerium's song, "Silence"). I reccommend that song to anyone who likes trance/techno/industrial type music. It fits in a way. . .

**TenshiKaitou**: The glomp definately helped! (XD)! I hope you update your Lithium Flower soon too! You write so well and your story is original! I was flattered when you reviewed! THANK YOU! (glomps back)

**Chou ni Natte**: Eh? Orra? You added me on your C2 list? (dies of happiness)

**HikaruOfDreams**: Thanks (:D)! You added me to your faves too! (does the happy tribal dance)

**Iceheart**: (gasp)! You seemed familiar. . .I think you're a regular reviewer of the KH fanfics out there. (Am I right?)

**RuByMoOn17**: Thank you (XD)! You're the first who reviewed my fic too! (glomps) You'll always have a special place in my mind (:D)!

**Fallon**: Thanks! (bows)


	4. Crimson Eyes

Kakashi led Naruto through the various winding halls and paths of the East Wing. As they went on, Naruto allowed his eyes to wonder around the place, noting the cleanliness that is shown off by the sheen of the walls and floors. However, there were also other things that didn't take too long to come to his awareness.

_Is it rude to look around the place? I'm not even lookin' at them! _

So far, more than 20 people had stopped in their tracks with their eyes riveted on Naruto. It was beginning to disturb the blond a bit and that wasn't the worse part yet. Apparently, the place that he needed to go was far from the "room" he was staying in. But still, he didn't think it'd be _this_ far. Unending they are, these paths, stretching without limit; the whole complex was very much like a labyrinth. Just when Naruto was getting annoyed, they arrived at the North Wing.

_. . .And I thought the previous part of the trip was bad. This place is freezing compared to the last area! It's gotten darker too. . .damn, this place feels is beyond creepy._ Naruto thought with a weary face.

"Ne, Kakashi, why do I have to be here?" Naruto asked. Kakashi turned, thoughtfulness etched on his face, "hmm. . .don't really know. My job's just to take you there."

The answer disturbed him even more.

_Why do I feel like I really __**am**__ in a horror movie now? Please don't tell me someone is gonna suck my brains out!_

Nasty images were flying back and forth through Naruto's brain, despite the attempts made by the rational side of the blond to dispel them. He walked along with Kakashi, trying to keep his face straight so no thoughts of his paranoia would surface.

"Ah, Naruto, we're almost there. See that entrance there with the double translucent doors? That's the one you go to so I'll leave you now." Kakashi said cheerfully before turning to another direction.

"Wait Kakashi! Where are you going?" Kakashi didn't turn around again as he casually waved his hand and went off on his own. Pouting with a cute face, Naruto took some time in his spot to study the area around him.

_Can't hurt to know where to run later. . . _

Inhaling in a breath, he moved on to his destination.

--

The time extremely early when he came back. Since the arrival of the information regarding the project _Shinma_, he hasn't been able to sleep at night. He didn't know what was keeping himself up, the impatience caused by knowing that something will come to you soon or his eagerness to welcome a routine breaker. He glanced over the results from the other day, checking for signs of mutations and new growth. If he was like any other normal person, he would've become insane a long time ago.

He froze as he felt someone near the entranceway. The figure was edging closer and closer; it didn't resemble any of his aquaintances.

The double doors slid open with their usual noise and Itachi finally got a glimpse of the person he's been waiting for all this time.

--

When he entered, the first thing that he noticed was that there are already an occupant present and said occupant was _staring_ at him. His face, an emotionless mask, was framed with shoulder length ebony hair nicely tied back. If it was possible, his lack of expression brought forth an aura of calmness and elegance. His features, although graceful, were overidden with a sense of masculinity.

_Hn. . .a pretty boy. A manly pretty boy at that. . . _

Naruto cracked a grin. "So, you're the doctor, na? You look pretty young to me." At first, Itachi didn't reply and soon the silence began to bother Naruto. A long interval of stillness ensued, with both young men scrutinizing each other.

"You're younger than you look in the pictures." said Itachi while relaxing into his chair.

"Eh? You have files and information of me?" Puzzled by what he'd heard, Naruto scrunched up his brows.

". . .Uzumaki Naruto, number 00795211, the nineth and last Jinchuuriki (:), kill count in Endiathetos Dive (:) 1055, virtual kill count 3554, part of the remnants from the Fudo-myou Ou (:) Unit." Information poured out of Itachi like a torrents of water coming from a rapid stream.

"One of the few survivors of the war that plagued the dominating countries years ago. . .you lead the old capital to their victory, am I correct?"

Itachi let all the things he knew about this Uzumaki boy roll out. The change was dramatic, if not more so than Itachi had at first expected. Each and every detail made the presumably innocent blond more tense; as the boy got more tense, his expression grew colder and colder.

A shiver ran through Itachi, for it felt like the room temperature had corresponded with the boy's mood and dropped several notches.

--

Naruto could not believe what he was hearing from this stranger of a man he did not even know. Passing years had made these facts so obscured that he was sure they were buried into oblivion, forever forgotten to everyone and probably even to those who knew him. No one, not in years, knew even half of what the man before his eyes had said.

_Stranger. . .? _An unfamiliar feeling coursed through Naruto as he regarded the calm Uchiha.

"What do you want?" His face was very much like Itachi's, with the exception of his voice that barely hid his growing agitation.

"As you've been told earlier, I'll just be checking up on you." Itachi motioned toward something.

"How much do you know?" There was no answer.

_Just as I thought. Of course he wouldn't tell me anything._

Previous experiences had taught Naruto that he'll get and explanation later if he can't get one now.

Naruto decided to train his eyes on the obsidian-colored device nearby instead of Itachi due to the lack of response. The pitch-black device was rather large and reflected what little light the room had beautifully. He could easily see his own blurred image ghosting across the surface. Words were engraved on the headgear hovering just above the reclined seat, illegible from his distance. Innumerable cables were everywhere in the back of the machine; some were connected to the back from the ceiling, draping like a veil from a haunted house while others were connected to the mainframe computer in the back of the room. Naruto then surveyed his surroundings, observing every aspect of the structures. The whole place was relatively dim, with only a few items here and there emitting light into the room. The reclined seat was almost at the center of the room with a wall of holographic data a few yards away. Familiarity struck again, making Naruto feel like he knows the place.

_Wait. . .is it. . .?_

"Please, seat yourself so we can begin."

For a moment, Itachi thought the boy looked alarmed, but quick as it came, the look was gone.

An ominous sensation overcame Naruto, but he steeled his nerves and seated himself onto the weird. . .thingy. The headgear hovered close, encompassing his eyes and forehead when he settled down. He heard a weird noise after it had affixed its position and as if coming to life, lines of flowing blue energy appeared inside the headgear.

_It's. . ! _

Naruto's panic was cut short as he immediately fell into a deep slumber.

--

In short, what Naruto is experiencing now is very similar to the Endiathetos Dive, except that it's. . .a literal mind hack.

_For a normal person it'd be nothing, maybe a few embarassing moments here and there but they've got nothing to hide. _

Itachi eyed the blond lying limply on the ebony unit.

_But since it's a special case for him. . .the results should be different._

Preparing for the dive, Itachi quickly hit the keys on the panel and readied his own visor.

"Commencing dive." He sat back into the chair, inert as the background of the room gradually faded into darkness.

--

A wholly different sight greeted Itachi's eyes. To be more specific, the lack of a sight greeted Itachi's eyes.

_Doesn't he have anything in his mind? _

There was nothing to see, nothing preserved. No memories, no images, not even color was present in this dreamscape.

It was as if an alternative dimension was present, the space aphotic and unmoving. Ripples formed with each step he took, seemingly the only movements out there other than his own. The ripples were like lustrous gleams of grayish-white protruding steadily from the shadowy ground. The setting was unusual, but its unique manifestation appealed to the older Uchiha.

_. . . . . . . . . . _

A sound, indistinct at first, became perceptible.

A truly soft sound, one that you would hear coming from a music box playing a lullaby, or a windchime swaying in the breeze. For some reason, it brought a foreboding discomfort. Itachi stood, eternity reigned as time stopped.

Everything was motionless. . . . .

--

Itachi choked down a gasp as a heavy pressure hit him full force on the chest. Throwing his visor off in a blink of an eye, he got out of his chair only to behold a pair of blood red eyes.

_What. . .? _

Those eyes, those crimson eyes were just as natural as the cerulean ones. Both were eyes of the same person, but this pair of eyes conveyed a separate mentality.

"It's not nice to snoop around like that."

_The dive was repelled?_

Evidently the blond was the same but obviously something was off, more in demeanor than in appearance.

_Other than the eyes, he's more solemn now. . ._

"Uchiha Itachi isn't it? I'm surprised that you don't remember."

_. . . . . . . ?_

"This is my warning to you, boy. You try to force yourself into his mind again, I will do more than just expel you out of his head." Itachi narrowed his eyes at that particular comment. Being usually the one who threatens, reversing to the other end was not so pleasant.

"I didn't know that Uzumaki Naruto had disassociative identity disorder." Itachi deadpanned. The blond boy chuckled, a rather deep tremble for someone who looks so young.

"No, I'm not a split personality at all. I thought you knew about this already?" An amused look adorned Naruto's face. He began to stretch, peering here and there with boredom.

"I take it that you received information concerning Naruto from someone?" Itachi didn't bother responding.

"Naruto" turned and regarded him, his whole countenance unreadable.

"You don't know who sent it to you either." The tone of the statement was that of a person who knew the results already. Irritation seeped into Itachi but outwardly he stay unfazed. The red-eyed blond sighed, both amused by what was happening but also tired.

"Are you going to talk? Preferably telling me why you were trying to probe our mind and where am I?" The blond asked with a raised eyebrow.

_. . . . Have I found trouble or did the trouble find me? _Uchiha Itachi could only sigh mentally at his predicament.

--

**AN:**

Ehehehe. . .(scratches head). Shit man, I think I made things a bit too complex here didn't I? I've made a slight modification in the last chapter, so if you squint hard enough, it might explain one of the many questions you have as of now. Now, onto the side-notes:

: Fudo-myou O (不動明王, "Acala" in Sanskrit) is one of the five kings (五大明王) in Buddhism that protects one of these five special buddhas (uuuh. . .I can't translate their names, but if you're interested about this kind of stuff, you can search on wikipedia nn0). Fudo-myou O symbolizes many things, but since I don't know that much about him, I can't do a detailed explanation here. ( Scratch that, I know the basis, however, this myou o represents so many things that covers other category that if one don't know them all, one can't explain it. The information that wikipedia gives is only a fraction, there are tons of articles about Fudo-myou O in Chinese and Japanese using terms I've never heard of before.)

: Well, endiathetos means "of the mind/conception" in ancient greek. (If I'm wrong, correct me here. I was going to give the dive a Japanese name but there are just too many sounds for one kanji. Plus, I don't know the rules concerning the pronounciation of kanji words put together so I didn't want to risk anything.)

: Jinchuuriki (陣中利器). Aw man. . .this one is semi-hard and semi-easy. Jin (陣) can mean a period of time, or to describe something as "chonic, continuous." Jin can also mean a tactical formation that soldiers use in the midst of battle. In this case, the jin means the tactical formation in battle (it's _REALLY_ hard to translate this into English terms, because words like these are very flexible and implicative). Chuu (中) literally means "within" (depending on the wording, it can also mean "between"). Riki （利器） literally means "advantage tool." So "jinchuuriki" in this case means "a tool of advantage in area of battle." (I hope I gave a accurate enough of a translation. Some words are easy to translate, but when the meaning is not straightforward, the word becomes a challenge.)

Now, onto responses:

:) - well, Sasuke doesn't really _know_ him. Maybe it's just petty infatuation? He's just _so_ entranced by Naruto's mesmerizing sky blue eyes. (inserts evil laugh)

Thank you all who've reviewed, your encouragements really boosted my confidence. (bows)


	5. Interlude: Reminiscence

_**"I had faith up until I pulled the trigger" **_

Human lives held no meaning nor worth. They weighed even less during war time.

Yes, that was the thought I'd seeminly entertained since birth. It was as if I remembered everything yet nothing, the past eludes my grasp yet is within my reach. There wasn't much that was clear to me, only my name and my objective.

Sabaku no Gaara, search and kill everything on sight. Was Gaara really my name before this whole crisis? Sometimes I look to the mirror of this cell, feeling the mark upon my temple and debate in my mind my own identity. Yes. . .the special marks we Jinchuuriki all have, mine in the form of the word "love" and yours in the form of that weird seal peculiar to yourself.

I remember so clearly that fateful day. In our time, there was nothing to smile about, yet you still carried that grin on your face. Amidst all the faces, yours shined out the brightest. I cannot tell if it was hope, perhaps it was just optimisticness along with habitual cheerfulness that expressed itself conspicuously on your face. Whether that expression was truthful or not didn't matter to me when I first saw it; all I could remember was the rising disdain I felt towards your cheerful disposition. It always baffled me so, that feeling of complete disdain and contempt of you at first sight when we weren't even aquainted with each other.

It dumbfounded me until now.

That smile doesn't belong on your face, Uzumaki Naruto. You were like me, your cheery façade was the exact equivalent of my cold indifference. That hellhole of a place from whence we came, how can anyone smile after getting out of it? How could anyone be sane after surviving what we had to undergo? The dead died, some slowly and tortuously while the lucky ones got it quick and painlessly; the crippled were crippled for life, maybe even paralyzed. Those left unscarred physically suffered psychiatric problems, and I was no exception. How could _you_ be an exception?

I'd periodically replay the past when I close my eyes, though I must admit how surreal it all was in retrospect.

But I don't sleep. I've never told you this, but I think you knew.

Our so-called "friendship" did not start until that encounter where you nearly took my life, and I yours. It was weird how we both stopped before that last critical strike. I gazed at you while you looked back with strained emotions upon your countenance.

And to think, that world was nothing but a simulation of the mind. We all know that it wasn't real, but time eventually washed that thought away.

But that was it. It still surprises me how easy it was for you to disarm my façade in just one fight, whereas the people who knew me for years were not even able to. Perhaps we had a link, maybe all Jinchuuriki did.

From then on was the uneventful fending of Konoha, wasn't it? Uneventful by my standards, but it might've been hell for a normal person.

It might've been hell for you, even though you were far from normal.

It's ironic isn't it? We, who are supposedly the heroes of war, are nothing more than trash to be scrapped aside. To think, we would end up in a type of rehabilitation facility for the "mentally unstable" or otherwise "unsafe" individuals.

They never once trusted us.

What were we then? What are we now? Just predicting your response puts a half-perceptible smile on my face. Your answer would never change, would it?

And now, you are gone. Something is stirring, poking and prodding its way to the surface of the so-called "peace" we have right now. Someone is on the move. Maybe our past is coming back "to haunt us."

Will we see the same reflection, or will we see the future?

* * *

This little interlude was done a long time ago, it just never got published. I had intended this to be longer, but I can't think of anything good or necessary to add on. In a way, this little chapter acts as a filler (but I hope that it had shed some light on the past of our two lovely boys!). Sorry, I've been on but hadn't been working on the story (no I lied, I've already started chapter four, but it's not long enough to be considered an official chapter). I've been planning on drawing sketches for the characters just to give ya guys a feel of how they appear and act (I'll see if I can get around that). 


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